The eternal search for the new Dani Alves: five years and €93.7m spent

It became an obsession. Trying to find a carbon copy of one of the most important figures in Barcelona's recent history. That could sound exaggerated, but time has proven it true. Daniel Alves is probably the best right-back to every play for the club.

A player as brilliant as he was differential, as iconic as he was indispensable. And still we criticised him at times because his crosses didn't always find their man. How naive we were. It seems like ages since the Brazilian left. In concrete, it's five years this summer. They have been dark years. Not just because of the search for a replacement, but because coaches, presidents, pandemics, dramatic situations and humiliations have also passed.

dramáticas, humillaciones. 

€93.7m and rising

It's clear that we cannot blame everything (or even a small part) on the departure of the Brazilian, but we have stopped to analyse what the club have spent looking for a player with a similar profile. A full-back capable of filling the right flank, attack and defend and never stop. It's been in vain so far. Money spent, up to €93.7 million, on players that have been a long way short of Alves' level.

Vidal to Semedo

The first to arrive was Aleix Vidal, when Alves was still here. He signed in the summer of 2015 for €17m. The club, then ran by Bartomeu, were preparing for life without Alves. The result: Vidal never managed to find a home as a right-back or a winger. He would leave after 51 games, four goals and 11 assists.

In 2018, two years after Alves had gone, Barça were still looking for that attacking profile. They spent €35.7m on Nelson Semedo. Despite some glimpses, he was never capable of matching Alves. Barça sold him for €30m last summer after 124 games, two goals and 11 assists.

In 2018, they also spent €5m on a young Senegal right-back who had impressed at the World Cup. Moussa Wague joined from Kas Eupen, at first for the B team, but he has chances with the first team, making five appearances. We're speaking in the past but in reality he still has a contract until 2023.

Patience with Dest

The next Alves 'replacement' joined last summer when Sergiño Dest, 19 at the time, joined from Ajax for €21m. He has shown glimpses of his quality, above all in attack, but has not found consistency yet. He has made some mistakes, too. Barça will show patience in the kid because he has quality, but there is a lot of room to grow.

And we finish with Emerson Royal. Barça signed him from Brazil and loaned him to Real Betis, where he has been for the last two seasons. He will return to Camp Nou this summer for preseason. For that pleasure, Barça will have to pay Betis another €9m to take on 100 percent of his rights.

In short, five years attempting the impossible and in which Sergi Roberto has spent a lot of the time at right-back. Maybe the problem is that we had idealised Alves. Meanwhile, at 38 he's enjoying himself in Sao Paulo. Because if there's one thing he's done in his career, it's have a good time.

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